By Charles Pemu 
ABUJA—Barring any last-minute delays, President Bola Tinubu is expected to present his nominee for the position of Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the National Council of State today at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The move comes as the tenure of the outgoing Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, officially concludes next month, following his formal handover on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, to the most senior National Commissioner, Dame May Agbamuche-Mbu.
Highly placed Aso Rock sources reveled that Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan has “come highly recommended” and is the likely choice for the plum job. Amupitan, who hails from Kogi State (North Central) and is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, has reportedly undergone the necessary security screening.
President Tinubu’s prompt action is seen as a deliberate effort to avoid the controversial vacuum created by his predecessor, late President Muhammadu Buhari, at the expiration of Professor Attahiru Jega’s tenure in 2015. Buhari’s delay led to the commission operating without a substantive head for almost four months, mired in controversy over the appointment of an acting chairman.
By moving quickly to appoint a replacement before next month, Tinubu aims to establish a clear succession plan and preempt the “unnecessary furore” that previously engulfed the commission.
The Top Nominee: A Profile
Professor Amupitan, born on April 25, 1967, in Aiyetoro-Gbede, Kogi State, is a Professor of Law specializing in Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, Corporate Law, and Privatisation Law. His academic background and experience are expected to bring institutional rigour to the electoral body.
However, the appointment process has not been without controversy. Appointments to INEC require consultation with the National Council of State and Senate confirmation, processes which the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has criticized the Tinubu administration for occasionally bypassing in the appointment of some National and Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).
Insiders revealed that the President took a keen interest in the selection process, recognizing the importance of electoral integrity in securing his legacy.
“He wants a credible process, and he wants to help ensure that Nigerians’ confidence in INEC is not shaken,” a source close to the President said, noting that Tinubu was subject to “intense pressure” from politicians seeking to influence the choice for pecuniary and control reasons.
The President is said to have maintained a “studied cool-headedness” amidst the lobbying, even seeking institutional guidance from the current APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, a former Benue REC, who reportedly ensured there were no “negative optics of interference.”
The success of Tinubu’s choice will be measured against the legacies of past leaders, like former President Goodluck Jonathan, whose international acclaim is often attributed to the credible conduct of the 2015 general elections.
Meanwhile, fresh information suggests that the final exit of Professor Yakubu may have been hastened by a dispute over the registration of new political parties. Sources reveled that Yakubu’s push to leave a legacy by registering about a dozen of the 110 applications led to complications when one of the registered parties was intended to serve as a ‘fall back option’ for a powerful politician.
A complaint from a sitting South East governor regarding the development reportedly led to an instruction last month for Yakubu to officially hand over to the most senior national commissioner, commencing his final exit from the commission.